Tag: Home & garden

This spring, the House of Christian Lacroix and designer Roche Bobois follow up on the successful collaboration they launched nearly two years ago. For this new opus, furniture pieces created by the House’s creative director Sacha Walckhoff are wrapped in dreamy flora and fauna.

This collection takes us deep into the daydream home of an imaginary botanist, a fan of Comte de Buffon’s treatise on natural history. I for one am loving the tropical vibe, what about you??

Whenever we think of luxury we automatically start assuming expensive. While a lot of rich a luxurious products do fall in the higher price bracket, you can easily create a luxurious atmosphere with a few simple tips without burning a whole in your pocket

Scented Candle Jars

These come in various materials from stone to ceramic. You can get a metal jar or marble jar and place it on your console or side table for your chic update.

Faux Fur

While real Fur is a big NO-NO, Faux Fur if used properly can make a space look cozy and luxurious. If you are not ready to commit to a big throw, you can always add elements like fur cushions or fur seats.

Coffee Table Books

These are a Stylist’s go too. The trick is to get the right colours to go with your interior. Monochromes are safe while a bright red or blue can add a touch of colour

Semi- Precious Stones

And no I don’t mean just wear them. You can get stunning Home decor products like coasters and door knobs in stones like Agate and Rose Quartz. These look luxurious and add a touch of class!!

Linen Bedding

While the opinion in India seems to be divided about linen bedding, with some people feeling it might get hot, there is no doubt that linen bedding spells luxury and coziness. Also the beautiful colours would add richness to any bedroom.

The client wanted a home that exuded a serene vibe with warm engaging spaces but also has its share of quirky elements. The concept envisioned for this two-story structure was modern eclectic with hints of traditional elements. The intent in this project was to infuse pockets of greens within the interior spaces to break away from the concrete jungle like feel in cities.

Upon entry, the round green seating with wooden angel wings is a striking visual. It is abstracted in two different shades emphasizing on the good and the evil. The living room breathes with a double height form-finish concrete ceiling and exposed white-painted brick walls. The dining area in the living is accentuated by the printed black and white floor and the concave dimpled ceiling, developed by placing ‘taslas’ within the slab before casting. On the other side the living room opens to the pool area framing the concrete faceted wall, bringing in diffused light through the slits.

The stairwell volume is encased in a MS frame glazing which extends into a skylight above, overlooking the courtyard outside. It provides a constant flood of sunlight into the adjoining spaces throughout the day. The seating nook below the staircase acts a focal point with a pop of colour and letters. The home comprises of five bedrooms, each with its own character that is different from the rest.

The master bedroom emphasizes the seasmless floor, walls and ceiling all in an egg white colour. There are leaf inserts in the wall to go along with brass inlay in the in-situ flooring and the vibrant hand painted hibiscus flowers on the walls. The kids’ bedroom houses the bed within the floor and reflects a sense of playfulness having been painted in a bright blue with a herringbone hardwood floor and white cane ceiling. All in all this is a home that adds the right bit of tranquility one wishes for in a vacation home.

There are some who hesitate to adopt a pet citing lack of space. And then there is Rubina Dhankar Qadir Din, who insists that her home in Gurgaon belongs to her 46 dogs while she and her husband share the space with them.

“Life has a strange way of working out.” Rubina says as we meet at her Barsati (terrace), which has been converted to a Living cum Dining space of their house. “I was married and living in Mumbai with my first husband for 14 years. At that point I was a journalist with NDTV and Times now. After my marriage ended I moved to Delhi with my mother and started working with JJ Vallaya as a brand manager,” she continues while sipping her herbal tea. After a few years she moved back and started an ad production company. During this time she dabbled in Interior Design for friends. Finally in 2012 Rubina moved back to Delhi where she met my current husband Abdul Qadir, a fitness instructor and Dog lover as she discovered. “Soon after we started living together in my condo in Gurgaon we started adopting street dogs. No one wanted these dogs and most had terminal illness’s. We started with 12 dogs who have now slowly gone up to 46,”

In the beginning of 2015 they decided to put the condo on rent and look for a larger house with open spaces for the dogs. She shares, “It was getting expensive to take care of them on just my husband’s income so I tried to figure career prospects too. Meanwhile, I put up images of the condo at various sites looking for people to rent. People started complimented me on the space and design. Soon they started asking me to design their homes.”

The ground floor of the villa was also styled by her, but as the dogs grew in number the space appeared more lived in. As a result they decided to focus on a living space at the Barsati. The Barsati has two basic rooms, converted as a living and dining area with the open space offering outdoor seating. The two rooms in fact have been left as raw as possible, with just single brick layers of the walls, tin roofs and aluminium doors.

Despite the almost raw sense of style, the space appears inviting. In her own words, “My style is very rustic chic and that is the style I am comfortable with. A lot of the furniture you see here has been designed by me, I believe in reasonably priced furniture but I’ll splurge on accessories. Fortunately my husband is also very house proud. He loves to gift me gorgeous home accents from different designers and stores. As a result, I have a collection of plates from Good Earth and some accessories from Oma. However, the two pieces which have stayed with me from my first house, is the Nepalese Tara statue and the Limited collection Fab India cabinet,” Perhaps due to the overall sense of bareness, we can’t help but notice the trunks. She confesses, “My husband is a hoarder and since the ground floor is devoted to the dogs, we had to find a creative way to store his t-shirts. To find a suitable storage solution, I sourced traditional trunks and made them work as part of the décor.”

Along with the trunk another very noticeable element is mirrors. There are at least three-four in each room along with posters and frame. For Rubina the use of mirrors came naturally, as she loves them, “I think they add character to a space, so I use them a lot. But most people can’t tell how many there are, as I place them in unique ways, each reflecting something unique, for instance the one in the living space reveals the reflection of the chandelier,” she shares.

When she initially started her business, Rubina would request clients to provide dog food as payment for her services. However she soon realised that people could be quite unfair. Sometimes, she would receive only two bags of dog food as payment for the whole house. “That experience shocked me. So now I have a transparent fee structure for my interior styling services. My business really picked up after eight months of styling homes. In fact, now I am tie-ups with different designers such as Sarita Handa, Elvy and so on.” she explains.

With 46 dogs living at home doesn’t entertaining guests pose a unique challenge, we wonder. She agrees, “We used to be sociable, but now with the dogs we rarely go out and even if people come over we hang out at the Barsati. However, my husband and I are both very content with the direction our lives have taken for both us and our babies,”

This spectacular villa designed by Kelly Hoppen and situated in the picturesque South of France near Antibes was a challenge for the celebrated British interior designer.

The London based client, who had a much more traditional taste than Kelly, wanted a very classic home, something with lots of colour and something very beautiful, but not too feminine in its overall look. As with all of her projects, Kelly started with a neutral base and then built on this with accents of colour in each room using stunning fabrics, art and star pieces of furniture, such as the pink Moisonnier table in the entrance hall.

With the eye catching pink Moissonnier table at the centre as well as the pink velvet borders on the curtains, the entrance hall is a truly unique space and quite different to anything Kelly has designed before. The clients’ favourite colour is pink so Kelly has undoubtedly remained loyal to the brief.A Birgit Israel chandelier hangs elegantly over the table and the floor to ceiling windows naturally light the room beautifully. Chandelier Birgit Israel-Pink Table Moisonnier-Curtains Bennison fabrics-Sconces Porta Romana.

With plenty of natural light flooding in through the large double windows, the study is a beautiful, understated room in which one can relax. The touch of orange on the India Mahdavi stools can also be seen on the beautiful vintage cushion coverings.Sofas / Cushions / Fabrics Vintage linens and tickings Armchair George Smith– Stools India Mahdavi-Coffee Table jnl– Floor Lamps Porta Romana– Curtains Ian Mankin.

Kelly has elegantly designed the living room with an Andrew Martin sofa and striking black chairs from Collection Pierre. The collection of black ipe cavalli coffee tables at the centre of the room are complimented by the dramatic black and white accessories and the beautiful black and white Birgit Israel lamps. Kelly decided here to stick with her neutral colour palette as she felt the formal living spaces should be more neutral areas where the whole family and all of their individual tastes come together in a harmonious way.Sofa Andrew Martin-Black Chairs Collection Pierre-Coffee Table Ipe Cavallifurniture-Black&White Table Lamps Birgit Israel-Carpet Borderline carpets-Sconce Todhunter Earle-Art Michael Hoppen-Green Vase Kelly Hoppen.

The black B/K honed slate used on the work surfaces and island provide a functional space to cook as well as making the kitchen boldly attractive.Work Surfaces B/K Slate, Honed.

The elegantly designed master bedroom includes everything the client wished for. The beautiful green on the Meridiani bed is set off by the natural light flooding through the windows and can also be seen on the Kelly Hoppen cushions which sit on top off the Guadarte chairs.Lamps Porta romana-Bed Meridiani-Side table Guadarte-Art Michael Hoppen-Carpet Borderline carpets-Cabinet Valerie Wade-Chairs-Guadarte, cushions-Kelly Hoppen-Lighting Bella Figura-Art Michael Hoppen Gallery.

The dramatic colour Guest room 1 has been cleverly coordinated by Kelly through the unique artwork which hangs on the wall and the stunning bed linen covering the luxurious EDC London bed.Bed EDC London.

The light décor in Guest room 2 and the comfortable throw covering the Meridiani bed adds to the relaxed feel of the room whilst the beautiful vintage furniture contributes to the elegant design of the room.Bed Meridiani-Furniture Vintage-Bennison Fabrics.The sumptuous Jimmie Martin bed is the focal point of guest room 3 and the ornate detailing on the headboard seems to merge with the beautiful stencil of a flower on the wall above it.Bed Jimmie Martin–Manuel Canovas and Ian Mankin fabrics.

The orange running through guest room 4 can be seen in the stunning artwork from the Michael Hoppen gallery, the eye catching Porta Romana lamps and the delicate vintage glassware on the bedside table.Lamps Porta Romana-Art Michael Hoppen-Glassware Vintage-Bathroom-Curtains Chelsea Textile-Bathroom was existing.

The stunning outdoors area has been designed to be a space where families and friends can enjoy food and conversation around the beautiful Heveningham dining table, whilst relishing the spectacular views from the terrace. The light linen fabrics used for the cushions contribute to the relaxed feel while the ornate Guadarte chandeliers add a touch of glamour.Table Heveningham-Chairs Heveningham-Chandeliers Guadarte-Cushions/Fabric Ian Mankin and Kelly Hoppen linens-Coffee Tables Heveningham.